Florida freeze could cause iguanas to tumble from trees this weekend
Known as torpor, this cold-stunned state involves the iguanas slowing down their metabolic rate to conserve energy.
When do iguanas fall from the trees in Florida?
In previous years when the temperatures are forecast to drop into the low 40s, the National Weather Service Office in Miami issues a "falling iguana" warning to residents.
If Isaac Newton lived in Florida this winter, he’d probably have an iguana fall on his head, rather than an apple.
That is because a cold snap this weekend will likely cause the bright green reptiles to enter a frozen state, making them fall out of trees and other vegetation where they live.
Known as torpor, this cold-stunned state involves the iguanas slowing down their metabolic rate to conserve energy. Torpor helps the cold-blooded creatures maintain their bodily functions during cold weather.
FILE - A maintenance worker holds an iguana immobilized from cold temperatures outside an apartment complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020.
(Getty Images)
Torpor is often triggered when the temperature drops below 50 degrees for a period of time. The amount of time varies, depending on the size of an iguana.
For example, a 2-foot iguana would become cold-stunned after a couple of hours at 50 degrees, whereas a 6-foot iguana would take twice as long in the cooler temperature to enter that state, according to Zoo Miami Communications Director Ron Magill.
Low temperatures on Saturday morning will drop below 50 degrees throughout the Sunshine State, with lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s in southern Florida where most iguanas live.
(FOX Weather)
By Sunday morning, iguanas will be getting back to fewer gravity challenges around Miami and far southern Florida as lows stay above 50 - or even 60 in Miami. But the ones who reside farther north into cental Florida may find another stunning start to the day with temperatures in the mid 40s.
(FOX Weather)
By Monday, morning low temperatures will have rebounded near or above 50 for much of the iguanas' typical living zones.
(FOX Weather)
Should Florida residents come across cold-stunned iguanas this weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission strongly advises against trying to warm up the creatures by bringing them into a home or vehicle.
"Iguanas can snap out of their torpor quicker than expected and become defensive (think sharp teeth & claws and long tails that whip)," the FWC said in a post on X.
On this chilly weekend, Floridians venturing beneath trees may get a spiky, scaly reminder of the theory of gravity.